French Apple Cake

 

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar, plus more for sprinkling over cake
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 tablespoons dark rum
• 2 baking apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (I like Honeycrisp, Fuji or Granny Smith) (3-1/2 - 4 cups chopped)
• Confectioners' sugar (optional), for decorating cake

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and set an oven rack in the middle position. Grease a 9-inch springform or regular cake pan with butter or nonstick cooking spray. If using a regular cake pan, line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper and grease again.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.
3. Using a handheld mixer with beaters or a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well and scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Beat in the vanilla and rum. Don't worry if the batter looks grainy at this point; that's okay. Add the flour mixture and mix on low speed until just combined. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the chopped apples.
4. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and even the top. Sprinkle evenly with 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar. Bake for about 40 minutes, or until the cake is golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool on a rack in the pan. Once cool, run a blunt knife around the edges of the cake. If using a springform pan, remove the sides. If using a regular cake pan, carefully invert the cake onto the rack, remove the parchment paper, then gently flip the cake over and place right-side-up on a platter. Using a fine sieve, dust with confectioners' sugar (if using). Cake can be served warm or room temperature, plain or with lightly sweetened whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
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Vivien Leigh

Vivien Leigh was a British actress. She won the Academy Award for Best Actress, for her definitive performances as Scarlett O'Hara in Gone with the Wind  

Vivien Leigh, the greatest beauty of her time, died on 8 July 1967 at her home in Eaton Square, Belgravia, London at the age of 53. The actress was under treatment for a recurrence of tuberculosis which she had incurred in 1944.

 Clark Gable and Vivien Leigh in "Gone with the Wind" (1939)

 Vivien Leigh and Jack Merivale in the play "Lady of the Camellias" (1961)

1946

Olivier and Leigh in 1957

Leigh and husband Laurence Olivier

Vivien Leigh, (1967)

Sicilian Apple Cake

1/3 cup walnuts120g melted butter

½ kg or 4-6 tart apples

1 lemon

1 heaped cup flour

1&1/2 tsp baking powder

3 eggs

1&1/3 cups sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

100mls milk

¼ cup raisins

2 tblsp pine nuts

1 tblsp brown sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

Carefully toast the walnuts in a moderate oven for around 10 minutes.

Line and grease a 23cm cake tin with baking paper. Drizzle the bottom with a little of the melted butter and scatter over the walnuts.

Peel, core and slice the apples, then toss with the zest and juice of the lemon.

Whisk the eggs, sugar, milk and vanilla together then add the remaining melted butter.  In a separate bowl mix the flour and baking powder together before whisking in the wet ingredients.  Stir until you have a smooth batter.

Pour a third of the batter over the walnut prepared cake tin.  Arrange a third of the apple slices over the batter, then sprinkle with half the raisins. Add another third of the batter, apples and remaining raisins before repeating again with the remaining batter and apples.

Lastly, sprinkle the top with pine nuts, brown sugar and cinnamon.  Bake at 170C for 1 -1&1/2 hours.

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